STOCKHOLM - A hatch on a Swedish church tower inadvertently left open for some three decades resulted in 2 tons of pigeon droppings amassing in the tower.

The church's property manager says the layer of droppings was 30 centimetres (12 inches) deep when it was discovered during a May inspection of the Heliga Trefaldighets Kyrka in Gavle, 170 kilometres (105 miles) north of Stockholm.

Lennart Helzenius said on Thursday that church staff had been shocked by the sheer number of bags of excrement cleaners were removing from the tower. He says the droppings filled 80 bags in the first round of cleaning, and then just as many in the second round.

On behalf my clients (pigeons), I must say that it is an elaborated plot to stain their immaculate reputation amongst the bird kind. Therefore, I suggest this offensive thread be removed until The High Court decides on the matter. This situation is filled with poop, if you pardon the pun.